The Sower
October-December
2007
Michael
& Lisa Shuttlesworth Ÿ SZOLNOK
5000, Konstantin utca 8. II/5., Hungary
mlshutt@yahoo.com Ÿ http://web.axelero.hu/shuttlesworth
Perspectives from
Young Christian Teens
This month we asked some of the Christian teens that
faithfully come to answer a few questions about their faith and their
understanding of the church. It is often
difficult to know how to minister to the people or know what to teach if you
don’t know where they are in their faith. Asking questions is always a good way
to find out what they think. Here are
some of the questions that I asked and a summary of the answers.
1.
What do you see as your place in the church? What is your job or role?
“I am someone who is there to serve God.” Another answer we received said, “My role in
the church is to be a firm part of it. My job is to serve God and grow
spiritually by learning about Jesus.”
2.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have as a Christian young
person?
“The negative influence from the worldly
surroundings and from the people I get in touch with.” One youth answered, “…I am still dependent on
my parents. They are very happy that I believe in God and they support me, but
the Catholic upbringing I had makes my situation a little difficult.” This same young person mentioned that she has
trouble seeing and understanding the difference between what the Catholic
church does and what we do. A final
response mentioned that becoming a “better” person and studying the Bible more
on her own is a challenge.
3.
What strengthens your faith?
What are some of the activities that help you the most as a Christian?
“Going to church, meeting
with members of church, reading the Bible, my relationship with God, and talking
to the Lord (praying).” Someone else
said, “I think the fact that Jesus died for our sins strengthens me every time
I think about it. And that God has a plan for me…I love singing worship songs
cause their lyrics are just amazing. And going to church and listening to the
preaching also helps me stay firm in my faith.”
A final response that is similar to the ones above, “being around other
Christians helps.”
4. Do you have any other
friends or classmates at school that believe in God?
There was a diverse mixture of responses for this
question. One answered, “among the
friends, and the people I know at school none are Christians, or at least I
don’t know that they are.” A second teen
responded, “In my school, there are several friends of mine who believe in
God…We don't often talk about religion, it is kind of a taboo topic. But I know
that in my class (32 people), there are about 3 people who go to church every
Sunday.” And the final answer seems to
be at the opposite extreme compared to the first question, “Yes, fortunately I
have plenty of friends and classmates (that believe in God). They go to church and usually pray to God.”
5.
What is the church?
One person said, “the church is a community which
includes people who believe in God or who want to know more about belief
(faith).” The only other answer we
received was, “church is a fellowship where we can praise and serve God.”
These responses encourage us because they show us
that these young people are thinking about things and trying to do what God
wants them to. It also helps us
understand their perspective and struggles, so we can help encourage them in
their faith.
Holiday Hike
Like last year on October 23rd, which is
a national holiday in Hungary, the church in Miskolc organized an excursion to
the mountains. Miskolc is very close to a national
park and like national parks in the US there are hiking trails
running throughout it. So for the
holiday we met the Miskolc church at a park in the mountains
to fellowship and hike. We were able to
rent a van and took 8 people from the Szolnok congregation. The time of fellowship was encouraging. The only difficulty was the weather, which
was cold and windy. Some went for a long
hike through the forest, others stayed in the park area, talked and tried to
stay warm. We all enjoyed a picnic lunch
and the time of singing. At the end of
the day, all were anxious to meet again for another hike, but we decided that
next time we’d try to plan it for a warmer season.
Marriage Seminar
During the fall we were happy to have Bill and Ellen
Brooks visit Szolnok. Even though the main purpose of their visit
was to see their daughter and family, they also wanted to be of service to the
church in some way. After a little discussion,
it was decided that Bill would present a seminar on the subject of
marriage. Education on Christian
marriage is a practical need in a society where many people live together and
the rate of divorce is high. Ellen was a
tremendous help in the department of encouragement. She also helped with the food and taught
Bible classes for her granddaughter and Caleb while the lectures were
given. Church members and visitors attended
and the Brooks’ efforts were much appreciated.
Fall Youth Activities
We often report on the regular youth activities that
we have with the youth. As usual, our
youth activity night continued into the fall.
We usually have a short devotional, a time of singing and prayer. After that we play games, talk and eat pizza,
thus providing time to fellowship and for everyone to get to know each other
better. After a summer full of
activities, our challenge is to keep the momentum going into the fall and
encourage the kids to participate during the school year. Unfortunately, during the fall we loose a lot
of kids due to the pressures of school and family. In addition, a couple of years ago we started
a “Coffeehouse Night” where young and old alike can meet to talk, play games
and drink coffee. The coffeehouse has
remained very popular but we have struggled with the youth activity. Although attendance fluctuates, we are
thankful for those who come to the youth activity and pray that they will
continue to grow closer to the Lord. We
are currently thinking about how we can improve the youth activities and are
hoping to make it more meaningful for those who come to learn about God.
Cookie Exchange
It has become a tradition for the church to gather
before the Christmas holidays and have a cookie exchange. This year 35 people attended the party. We encourage the church members to invite
friends and family members. We also invited
some of the poor families that are in contact with the church through one of
our members. There were a lot of
children and everyone enjoyed watching them play games. Everyone also enjoyed the opportunity to talk
and eat goodies. There are always a lot
of cookies, cakes and other sweets left over.
Most of it is sent home with the visiting families but almost everyone
leaves with something sweet to take home and enjoy during the holiday season.
2007 in Review
The end of the year is always a good time to review
and evaluate what has happened during the year.
The church has had its share of struggles this year. There are people who have moved further away
from God since the beginning of the year.
There are members who continue to struggle with making changes in their
personal lives, as we all do. This year
people generally seemed to be more oppressed, pessimistic and uneasy about the
quickly rising prices and taxes, as well as the unsettling political policy
that is currently influencing the country.
But this does not represent the entire year. We rejoice with 3 new additions to God’s
family that are growing in the Lord and seem to be stable servants in the
church. There are also others that have
drawn closer to Christ and have made remarkable progress in their spiritual
lives. As we begin 2008, all that we can
do is hope, pray and trust in the Lord for
the strength to take the necessary steps in our lives that will lead us closer
to Christ.
The Shuttlesworths
We made it through another holiday season. We really missed being with family this year
but Caleb kept us laughing. He and
Michael got to spend a lot of time sledding since we had a really good snowfall
just after Christmas.
Caleb is growing and changing rapidly. We are always amazed at what he does and what
he knows. He is a blessing and a light
in our lives. We are also looking
forward to our next little one. Although
our paperwork has been completed for the adoption, we are still waiting for a
birthmother to choose us. Please
continue to keep our next adoption in your prayers. In the meantime, we’ve moved Caleb into a
different room and are slowly working to prepare the other room as a nursery/school
room.
We would like to thank all of you who sent us cards
and letters, not just at Christmas but throughout the year. We appreciate your encouragement!
Prayer Partners
Please pray:
Ÿ
That the church, as individual members and as a whole, will mature
spiritually and be active in their faith.
Ÿ
That the men will take more active role in leadership of the church.
Ÿ
For four members who are currently unemployed or looking for new
jobs. Please pray for job opportunities
for them.
Ÿ
For us as we are in the process of adopting another child...for wisdom,
peace and good health for birthmother and for her child to be healthy too.
Ÿ
For Michael’s students this fall and winter, that their hearts will be
open to God’s Word.
Ÿ
Our newest brother and sisters in Christ: Mark, Ivett, and Fanni as
they grow in their faith.
We are thankful for:
Ÿ
The loving support of our family and our family in Christ.
Ÿ
Our health, safety and for the way God daily provides for us.
Ÿ
For a healthy, active 3-1/2-year-old who keeps us on our toes!
The Sower
January-March 2007
Michael & Lisa Shuttlesworth Ÿ SZOLNOK 5000, Konstantin utca 8. II/5., Hungary
mlshutt@yahoo.com Ÿ http://web.axelero.hu/shuttlesworth
Another Year Begins—2007
At the beginning of each new year we take the opportunity to evaluate where we are in the work and were we need to be going. We set goals with the church and encourage them to think about the coming year. Before the end of 2006 I spent several weeks encouraging the church to prepare for the new year through prayer. After the new year began we sat down together and talked about the things the church needs to focus on during the year. Some of those goals are listed here: We need to grow…
1. In service. Each individual needs to examine what he/she is doing and what they can do to better serve. We need to talk to others more openly about Christ and help them understand who we are as Christians and as a church. We need to serve the youth that are attending activities.
2. In love. We need to better practice showing God’s love toward each other and those around us who are in the world.
3. In hope. People within the church as well as outside the church need to be comforted in the difficult economic situation currently in Hungary.
4. In faith. We need to seek a deeper faith.
5. In prayer. We need to be more specific in praying for those around us who are lost.
We pray that the church will grow in these areas during the coming year.
Activities. Most of our activities have continued as usual. The coffee house is still a success but during this time of year as final exams approach and people are otherwise occupied the youth activities tend to drop in attendance. Because of this, we are only having one youth activity a month until our first intern arrives in June.
Country and Culture—From the Hungarians’ Point of View
We had a lot of positive feedback after including interviews with Hungarians in previous newsletters, so we thought it would be a good idea to include interviews as often as we can. I interviewed 2 men from the congregation, 2 ladies from the congregation and two teens who regularly participate in activities. For this interview the questions focused on two subjects, the city of Szolnok and how Hungarians view religion. At first the two subjects might not seem to relate, however they do influence each other. We hope that this article with give you further insight into the thoughts and opinions of Hungarians. Each of the following sections is a summarization of the responses given by the people interviewed.
1. What is your opinion of Szolnok? On the positive side some answered: Szolnok is an interesting city. It’s a little city and a bit dirty but I like it. On the other side some responded: It is dirty and has not been developed in the way it should be. It has not progressed; instead it has gone backwards in the past few years. During World War II it was important enough for the Allies to bomb it, but now that would not be the case. The city doesn’t spend its money the way it should. There aren’t any employment opportunities. The leadership of the city changes, but they only do things in their own interests. Although they have built many things in the city, it has not changed.
2. What is the best thing about the city? The best things about the city are: the theater, some of the parks, the river walk and its surrounding area. One person commented that the best thing about Szolnok was the fact that they have started developing the city. Another commented that the best thing about Szolnok is that it is small and “I know everyone because I’ve lived my whole life here.”
3. What is the worst thing about Szolnok? The worst things about Szolnok are: it is an average city, there are a lot of young people unemployed, the regular traffic accidents, the graffiti, the job situation and people trying to live on very little.
4. What is the spiritual state of the city, the country? Not good. There are many people that don’t believe in God at all and their souls are not well. People are interested in filling their pockets and stomachs but not their souls. They are almost empty spiritually. There are plenty of churches for people to attend, but this does not mean that they will go. Some people are “religious” but they are not really committed to God. For the average person, one’s spiritual situation is not a high priority. The people aren’t interested, even though there are many problems in their lives and in their relationships. In the country as a whole there are things that make people enthusiastic, but these aren’t God’s things.
5. Does the average person participate in religious things or think about God? The majority of my classmates don’t ever think about God. They make fun of the Bible and Jesus and don’t value these things because their parents don’t. In the villages more people are interested; people come together more often. People don’t think about God very often. Not many believe in God or talk about God. I do have some friends that do, but I don’t meet them very often. One person offered this insight, “People believe in a childlike manner. They expect things from God, but don’t feel they need to do anything. If someone tells them that God exists, then they will believe in Him until they are disappointed in Him because they don’t get what they expected and then they give Him up.”
6. In your opinion, why don’t people participate in religious things or believe in God? I don’t know why people don’t believe in God. They only think about Him at holiday times, but during the other days they don’t think about Him. In my opinion, only a small percentage of the people do think about God. The people see their everyday lives and their spiritual lives as separate. They don’t see these as connected.
Seekers
Although it doesn’t happen as much as I would like, there are opportunities to find out where people are in their faith and to encourage them further in seeking the Lord. Not long ago I was talking to one of the youth and she brought up how she recently started going to church more regularly. She lives in a village a few miles from Szolnok. Because she began talking about it, I immediately urged the conversation on. She was very open to the Bible and the thoughts that I wanted to share with her. She even agreed to come back to me with any questions that she had. Later she did attend one of the coffee houses and we were able to talk more about her faith.
Another recent experience involves a young man that I had given up as a hopeless case. He has been attending the summer camp for many years and each year causes many disciplinary problems, which make the whole week much more difficult for many people. One afternoon, while I was waiting for another class to begin, he just stepped in the door and asked if I gave Bible lessons. He explained that he had gone to the Catholic Church for religious education classes but had had some disagreements with the priest who was teaching the class. He didn’t agree with some of the things the priest said and was looking for someone else to discuss them with. We have had class every week since he first came to ask about meeting with me and he’s also come to worship, the Wednesday night Bible study and the coffee house. It is amazing how God works in the lives of people who are seeking Him and it is wonderful that he doesn’t give up on us.
The Shuttlesworths
We enjoy having visitors. In February we were blessed to have John and Lindsay Shuttlesworth, Michael’s brother and sister-in-law, spend a couple of weeks with us. Since they were married after we moved to Hungary, we haven’t had a chance to spend much time really getting to know Lindsay so it was a joy to have her here and to have both of them participate in our daily activities. Caleb really loves his Uncle John and Aunt Lindsay and still talks about their visit.
Caleb is growing by leaps and bounds. He chatters and sings his way through the days and is on the move most of the time. Spring is finally here and the weather is pleasant so we can go outside more, which is a welcome change for everyone.
Prayer Partners
Please pray:
Ÿ For the Szolnok church as it works on this year’s goals.
Ÿ That the church, as individual members and as a whole, will mature spiritually and be active in their faith.
Ÿ That the men will take more active role in leadership of the church.
Ÿ For three members who are currently unemployed or looking for new jobs. Please pray for job opportunities for them.
For the summer activities:
Ÿ For our interns, Kyle Coleman, Bekah Baugh, and Natalia Burt, as they prepare to serve in Szolnok.
Ÿ For the camp. Members from two congregations are planning to join in teaching this summer. The theme of the camp is “Running with the Giants” and will focus on biblical examples of people with great faith. Please pray for their preparations.
Ÿ For the kids coming to camp; that their young hearts will be deeply touched and the seed of God’s Word planted.
Ÿ For the safety and good health of all participants, both teachers and campers.
The Sower
October-December 2006
Michael & Lisa Shuttlesworth Ÿ SZOLNOK 5000, Konstantin utca 8. II/5., Hungary
mlshutt@yahoo.com Ÿ http://web.axelero.hu/shuttlesworth
Country and Culture
October 23, 1956—Revolution
On October 23, 1956, students organized a demonstration in Budapest to show their sympathy with the Polish rebels of Poznan. By evening the peaceful demonstration had turned into an armed conflict. News of the conflict spread. Within days the conflict turned into a revolution, which toppled the Communist regime for a short time. Reorganization of the country’s government was stopped short by Soviet troops on November 4, 1956. Bloody reprisals followed. For 40 years any mention of the most important post-WWII event in Hungary’s history was taboo and the police and the People’s Guard always anxiously awaited its anniversary. (Information taken from Hungary and the Hungarians by István Bart, Corvina Books Ltd., Budapest, Hungary, 1999.)
Recent political unrest also caused the police to wait anxiously for October 23, 2006, the 50th anniversary of the revolution. This fall saw several peaceful demonstrations on the streets of Budapest turn into violent protests. As the anniversary of the October 23rd revolution drew nearer, many worried that a new revolution would take place. Although there were protests, thankfully, none of them led to the destruction of life or property that the original revolution did. There remains deep dissatisfaction with the current government in Hungary, which has raised taxes in 2006 although it promised not to, and plans to dramatically raise taxes again in 2007. The new taxes will be a great burden on the majority of people in Hungary. Please pray for peaceful resolutions and honest and wise leaders for this country.
National Holiday
Since October 23rd was a national holiday and everyone had the day off from work, our sister congregation in Miskolc planned a day of fellowship in the nearby mountains of northeastern Hungary. We were blessed to be able to take a good-sized group from Szolnok. We met with the congregations from Miskolc and Debrecen in a picnic area and from there were able to enjoy a hot lunch of Hungarian stew cooked over the campfire, a hike, a game of soccer, and a time of singing. The day was enjoyed by all and was encouraging for the Hungarians, as it had been quite a while since all the congregations had met together.
Fellowship
In the last newsletter we mentioned that we have taken a break from the monthly fellowships which were usually hosted in our home. To replace that time of fellowship, we encouraged the church members to attend the “coffeehouse” that was started in the summer as an outreach to the youth. The coffeehouse has been successful and has brought a varied group of people together in a way that the regular fellowships did not accomplish. We never know who will come to the coffeehouse and some evenings are better attended than others, but on one of the best attended evenings in November we had about 23 people stop in to visit, play games, drink coffee and just spend time with others.
Even though the coffeehouse has been well attended by the members, some were missing the other fellowships. In November one of the ladies asked if she could host a fellowship at her house. This surprised us considering the lack of participation we experienced over the past year but the ladies quickly set the date for the following week and organized the food. Seventeen people attended the fellowship and it was an encouraging time for all.
On November 18th, Tibor and Billie Tamas hosted another fellowship. Tibor is Hungarian, but his wife, Billie, is American. So the fellowship was planned to celebrate our American Thanksgiving and the other congregations from Debrecen and Miskolc were invited to attend. More than 25 people filled the Tamas’ apartment and were able to enjoy a time of fellowship and a little taste of an American Thanksgiving.
In December we had our annual cookie exchange party. This is a good time for the congregation to visit, sample lots of goodies, and take some home to enjoy over the holidays, but we also try to use this time to invite friends and family members. This year we were blessed to have two families in attendance that the church often helps with care packages. The cookie exchange went well and all were encouraged.
Traveling to Miskolc
Since the spring of last year, I have not been to visit the Miskolc congregation on a regular basis. Ati and Ruth Levai, who are currently on furlough in the U.S., asked me to help out while they are away. Going to Miskolc by train makes for a very long day. It means catching the 5 a.m. train on Sunday morning and changing trains two times. Round trip travel is usually about 7-8 hours. It is a tiring day but being able to visit with the congregation in Miskolc outweighs the burden of the trip. The people are always very encouraging. It is a blessing to see their faith and their desire to see God’s work done. It is easy to have a Bible study with them because of their willingness to ask questions and participate. They are also very hospitable and never let me leave with an empty stomach. I am very thankful for the time I can spend with them.
A Gift
In years past, during the holiday season in particular, the Szolnok congregation has tried to help families that are less fortunate. This year was no different. With a family of 8 children in mind, the church collected money all year and used it to help the family buy groceries. The church has had contact with this family throughout the years and the last two years we have sponsored 4 children from the family at the summer children’s Bible camp. Our hope is that someday this family will be a part of the family of God and we pray that they can see the love of the Lord as the church tries to care for some of their needs. We also hope that the church members were encouraged and that giving inspires them to take a more personal interest and responsibility in benevolence, even if the act of kindness seems small.
Bora’s New Home
Many of you will recognize Bora and Misi from past newsletters. Bora and Misi, monetarily speaking, are less fortunate than others in the Szolnok congregation. They lived on a street in Szolnok that is primarily occupied by Gypsies and is one of the roughest areas of town. The street is so bad that most people avoid it and taxis won’t go near it. Because of the danger there, Bora never allowed us to go to their home. We think that she was probably a little ashamed of her circumstances too. It is doubtful that they had running water inside and we think that they used a common outhouse. For a long time Bora has prayed to find a way out of their living situation. The good news is that she has been blessed with a new opportunity and a new place to live.
A few weeks ago, Bora and Misi moved to a bigger apartment, one with modern amenities, in a different, better, part of town. The first thing they did after moving in and getting settled was to host a party for the church. Eleven people came to their new apartment to celebrate with them and fellowship with one another. Bora just beamed. It was wonderful to see the joyful look on her face and the pride she took in showing us around her new place. Every week since her move, she has made a prayer request of thanksgiving for her new and improved living situation…and she can’t stop smiling. What a good example she is for the rest of us on the need to be thankful, even in the “small” things.
The Shuttlesworths
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